Overview

With U.S. intelligence agencies wracked by internal power struggles and paralyzed by bureaucracy, the president has been forced to establish his own clandestine group—Covert-One. It's activated only as a last resort, when the threat is on a global scale and time is running out. THE UTOPIA EXPERIMENT When Dresner Industries unveils the Merge, a device that is destined to revolutionize the world and make the personal computer and smartphone ...

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Overview

With U.S. intelligence agencies wracked by internal power struggles and paralyzed by bureaucracy, the president has been forced to establish his own clandestine group—Covert-One. It's activated only as a last resort, when the threat is on a global scale and time is running out.
THE UTOPIA EXPERIMENT
When Dresner Industries unveils the Merge, a device that is destined to revolutionize the world and make the personal computer and smartphone obsolete, Covert-One operative Colonel Jon Smith is assigned to assess its military potential. He discovers that enhanced vision, real-time battlefield displays, unbreakable security, and near-perfect marksmanship are only the beginning of a technology that will change the face of warfare forever—and one that must be kept out of the hands of America's enemies at all costs.
Meanwhile, in the mountains of Afghanistan, CIA operative Randi Russell encounters an entire village of murdered Afghans—all equipped with enhanced Merge technology that even the Agency didn't know existed. As Smith and Russell delve into the circumstances surrounding the Afghans' deaths, they're quickly blocked by someone who seems to have access to the highest levels of the military—a person that even the president knows nothing about.
Is the Merge really as secure as its creator claims? And what secrets about its development is the Pentagon so desperate to hide? Smith and Russell are determined to learn the truth. But they may pay for it with their lives . . .

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star on The Ares Decision

Booklist on The Ares Decision

"A tight and tense pageturner."

Booklist on The Arctic Event

"Fast-paced, exciting . . . a winner."

Publishers Weekly

The 10th installment in this thriller series about a super-secret government agency is easily the best yet. Mills, who authored the eighth entry, The Ares Decision, succeeds in melding science-fiction, espionage, and action to create an intelligent page-turner. Covert-One operative Lieutenant Colonel Jon Smith, a microbiologist, is on hand in Las Vegas when tech genius Christian Dresner unveils Merge, a sort of Google Glass on steroids that has extraordinary military potential. Merge links directly to the wearer's brain, but, more disturbingly, it uses all the online data in can get to code the people the wearer observes as either good or bad. To very few readers' surprise, Dresner's motives in creating Merge-and offering the US exclusive rights to the military application-aren't pure, setting up another opportunity for Smith and his allies to save the day. Mills's projections of where current technology and the future of privacy may be heading are both chilling and plausible. (Apr.)

Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star

Fredericksberg Free-Lance Star

"Ludlum fans will enjoy the familiar frantic pace and dramat ic shifts in plot they have come to expect from this series."

From the Publisher

"Fast-paced and action-filled, with iconic characters and contemporary themes . . . Fans of Ludlum . . . thrillers will find The Ares Decision right on target."—Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star on The Ares Decision

"A tight and tense pageturner."—Booklist on The Ares Decision

"Freveletti turbocharges tension to nonstop levels in this Covert-One thriller."—Kirkus Reviews on The Janus Reprisal

"Fast-paced, exciting . . . a winner."—Booklist on The Arctic Event

"The cinematic chase through changing landscapes and mounting body count gives the book its rapid pace, while insider politics, tradecraft, and technical wizardry lend an extra kick."—Publishers Weekly on The Cassandra Compact

Meet the Author

KYLE MILLS is a New York Times bestselling author of over 10 novels including Rising Phoenix and Lords of Corruption. He lives with his wife in Jackson Hole, Wyoming where they spend their off-hours skiing, rock climbing, and mountain biking.

ROBERT LUDLUM was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 225 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series—The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum—among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March 2001. To learn more, visit www.Robert-Ludlum.com.

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holds your interest

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite
The Utopia Experi

Reviewed by Anne Boling for Readers' Favorite

The Utopia Experiment was written by Kyle Mills. This books is a thriller and may give readers a few nightmares. Dresner Industries created and marketed a new device called the Merge; it was touted that it would make smartphones and personal computers obsolete. Dresner was correct in stating it would change the world. Colonel Jon Smith a Covert-One operative -- Covert-One was a special secret group established by the president –- was assigned to evaluate its military possibilities. The device could assist the military by enhancing vision, perfecting marksmanship, and many other ways. Smith knew the device must never fall into the hands of the US military. CIA operative Randi Russell discovered a village of Afghans dead – murdered. Smith and Russell work together to find the reason the Afghans were murdered and what Merge had to do with it.

Dresner was forced to assist the Nazis during WWII. Now he has created a device that allows users to control the internet with their mind. Stud implants are encouraged for ease of use. Soon users are addicted to Merge, playing right into Dresner’s plan.

While this is a fictional audio book, there is a ring of truth to the premise. I say that as I sit here typing on my computer; we are dependent on technology in ways we could never before imagine. Kyle Mills is a talented writer; his story came to life, bringing thrills and chills. He included twists and turns to keep readers eagerly turning the pages. The plot is action packed and moves along at a fast pace. Jeff Woodman is the reader on this CD set. He does a fabulous job.

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Anonymous

Posted July 1, 2013

The characters are to be expected for this genre, but what is re

The characters are to be expected for this genre, but what is really impressive is the imagination of the author concerning the implementation of the technology that alters civilizations as we know it. The visual examples of the various applications of the Merge, and what happens to a society when a new technology is introduced is quite believable, and appears well researched.

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Anonymous

Posted June 25, 2013

Very good! Interesting and fast paced. Another great book by K

Very good! Interesting and fast paced. Another great book by Kyle Mills.

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Anonymous

Posted June 23, 2013

Good read

Entertaining techno thriller

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Anonymous

Posted May 8, 2013

Fast read, compelling

First rate adventure, blends in with todays technology and the future ramifications of its development. Well done!

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Anonymous

Posted April 19, 2013

too complex and eventualy lost all all mention of jason bourne and went off with outer space "merge: machine. I did not like it.

I did not like it.

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Anonymous

Posted April 19, 2013

Interesting story

Very good book to take on vacation. Entertaining and easy to follow.
Remember: It's a novel. Read and enjoy.

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Anonymous

Posted April 15, 2013

Not a good read

Have read all the Bourne books printed. Found this one to move all over the place from chapter to chapter. Although the storyline was good-found it choppy and hard to follow.

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Anonymous

Posted April 14, 2013

Good Read

Good story line and characters. A readable book without graphic language and sex.

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